Dear All Saints and St MarysAs a young man, on two occasions I decided to give up alcohol for Lent. One year, I was successful, not drinking a drop until Easter Day. Yippee! I was so proud of that achievement – which, of course, defeats the whole object of a Lenten discipline. This is not meant to be about our moral strength or determination. Rather, Lent is a season to be more attentive to the presence of God, and our neediness. So, on the other occasion, I managed to avoid alcohol for 36 hours – but, by the Friday evening after Ash Wednesday, I gave up. I can remember sitting in the pub with my pint of beer, thinking “I’ve blown it. What a weakling!”. Until I remembered that wonderful story about two people who go into the Temple (Luke 18). The Pharisee is proud of his achievements; the other one – you or me – says “God, I’ve blown it again. Sorry. How can you help me be better next time? Thank you for not abandoning me”.Services this weekend for the 9th March 20258:00am. Holy Communion – All Saints10:00am Holy Communion – St. Mary’s10:30am Muddy Church – All Saints4:15pm Generations (Crazy Golf)The week aheadMon 10th 10.30am - Tiny Tots – All SaintsMon 10th 7.30pm - Lent GroupTues 11th 10:30am – Music for Toddlers - St. MarysWeds 12th 9:00am - Celtic Morning Prayer – All SaintsWeds 12th 1.00pm – Lent Group – St MarysThursday 13th 10:00am – Holy Communion - St. Mary’sSaturday 15th 9.30am - Safeguarding Training – All SaintsSaturday 15th 12noon - 2:00pm - Saturday Lunches - St. Mary’sSunday 16th 10:00am – Holy Communion – St. Mary’s10:30am – Holy Communion – All Saints
Numbers, Poems and GraceDear All Saints and St MarysOn February 27th this week, the church remembered the Poet and Priest George Herbert. (1593-1633). He was a prolific writer. Through books, poems and hymns he managed to craft something about the ordinary life with God's remarkable and extraordinary grace. He is both deeply serious and yet hopeful and light to read. I was gifted a book of poems a few months ago, a collection by Janet Morley. In it, at the beginning of Lent, is a poem by George Herbert. It is called Trinity Sunday. Weird perhaps to think of Trinty Sunday at this point in the year - but the poem, albeit it brief, is more about the way in which three's come together for good and grace. There are three verses, three virtues, three nouns, three verbs to end. It feels that it combines the whole of the three theologies of creation, contrition and resurrection. I leave it here for your prayers and ponderings as we make our way towards Lent.Trinity Sunday by George Herbert Lord, who hast formed me out of mud,And hast redeemed me through thy blood,And sanctified me to do good;Purge all my sins done heretofore:For I confess my heavy score,And I will strive to sin no more. Enrich my heart, mouth, hands in me,With faith, with hope, with charity;That I may run, rise, rest with thee.This Last Sunday before Lent - 2nd March10.00 - Creative Church - St Marys10.30 - Holy Communion with Band and Junior Church - All Saints6.30pm - Evensong - St MarysThe week aheadMonday 3rd 10.30am Tiny Tots - All Saints7.30pm - Lent GroupTues 4th 10:30am – Music for Toddlers - St. MarysAsh WednesdayWeds 5th 9:00am - Celtic Morning Prayer – All Saints10:00am – Holy Communion - St. Mary’s1.00pm - Lent Group - St Mary'sFriday 7th - 2.00pm - World Day of Prayer - All SaintsSaturday 8th 12–2:00pm - Saturday Lunches - St. Mary’sSunday 9th8:00am – Holy Communion – All Saints10:00am – Holy Communion – St. Mary’s10:30am – Muddy Messy Church – All Saints4.30pm – Generations – Crazy Golf at Frenchay.Revd LizzieVicar of All Saints and St Marys Churches, FishpondsInterim Co Area Dean Bristol City Deanery
Dear All Saints and St Mary’sIn the church’s year, we have now left the season of Epiphany, and Lent is rapidly approaching. Lent has traditionally been used as a time for reflection and self-examination. It is a time when we can consider our relationship with God: where it is and where it might be going. It is a time to reflect again on what God is calling us to. It is a time to examine whether we have wandered from the path of Christ and how we can follow it more closely.This year, at All Saints and St Mary’s, we will be using the book Searched me out and known me by Charlie Bell to help us in our reflections. The book uses a psalm, along with the gospel reading set in the lectionary, to consider the themes of Lent and Holy Week. It starts on Ash Wednesday and continues with each of the Sundays in Lent and each of the days from Palm Sunday to Easter Day. For each of these days, there is a psalm, the gospel reading of the day, a reflection, and some questions for thought or discussion. The material can be used by individuals, but it is more helpful to use it in groups.We will be running two lent groups. One will be on a Monday evening at our house. The other will be on Wednesday afternoon in St Mary’s parish rooms. They will start with the Ash Wednesday material on Monday 3rd March and Wednesday 5th March, respectively. If you would like to find out more, please contact Kester or me. Lizzie has purchased some copies of the book. In addition, it is available from various online retailers, including Eden and Amazon.This Sunday, the lectionary is still with the general theme of who Jesus is, with the story of the calming of the storm. We will be looking at this in our Holy Communion services at 8.00 am at All Saints and at 10.00 am at St Mary’s. At10.30 at All Saints, we have Café Church, where we will be continuing our journey through Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. This month the theme is Peace. We will be thinking about God’s love for us and how we can know peace with him. Then we will reflect on how this can make us more resilient during tough times.This gives the following services for Sunday 23rd February:8.00 am All Saints Holy Communion (said)10.00 am St Mary’s Holy Communion10.30 am All Saints Café ChurchWe have our normal midweek services with Celtic Morning Prayer on Wednesday at All Saints and Holy Communion on Thursday at St Mary’s. Then on Sunday 2nd March we have our normal first Sunday pattern with Creative Church at St Mary’s and Holy Communion at All Saints. In the evening, there is Evensong at St Mary’s.This gives the following services for the coming week:Wednesday 26th February 9.00 am All Saints Celtic morning prayerThursday 27th February 10.00 am St Mary’s Holy CommunionSunday 2nd March 10.00 am St Mary’s Creative Church 10.30 am All Saints Café Church 6.30 pm St Mary’s EvensongOne future date for your diaries is the World Day of Prayer on Friday 7th March at 2.00 pm in All Saints. This year’s theme is “I made you wonderful” and is based on material from the Cook Islands.As we look forward to getting a clearer vision of God and for his plans for us and the world, let us pray that lent may be a time of growth, discernment, and vision, so we may come to Easter in the joy of the resurrection and the triumph of Christ over sin and death.Yours in Christ. MarkMark SimmsLicensed Lay MinisterBenefice of all Saints and St Mary Fishponds
Waiting on WaitingDear All Saints and St MarysThe middle of February brings us into a betwixt and between time. The days are still cold, yet they are also noticeably longer and lighter. We are moving away from winter, but spring is not quite here. There are glimpses of what is to come, and yet it feels as if we are still in the thick of it.Easter, the ever-moveable Calendar feast comes as late as possible in 2025, and so that gives a rare opportunity of a three-week gap before Lent even begins. It feels a bit like the waiting room, before the waiting room. Or the departure area, that isn't quite yet the actual departure area. What possible purpose could this extra waiting space bring?I want to rush through it...to not consider its importance or notice its possible usefulness. Yet, perhaps it is a time to slow the steps down and not race through the year wishing it away - getting to of 2025 and looking back saying "Where did the year go?" These three weeks before Lent can be a blessing, a time of not requiring more from me than the attention to just the space it brings. So it is not a drag, or a bind to reach March - but the move from the speed of a sprint, into a steady jog, so that we can walk more easily into the year, and on the way hear more clearly God's call on our lives. This Sunday 16th February - the services are10.00am - Sung Holy Communion - St Marys10.30am - Holy Communion with Hymns - All SaintsThe week aheadMonday 17th No Tiny Tots - Half term!Tuesday 18th No Music for Toddlers – as its half term! Wednesday 19th 9:00am - Celtic Morning Prayer - All Saints Thursday 20th 10:00am - Holy Communion - St. Mary’s Saturday 22nd 12.00 - 2:00pm - Saturday Lunches - St Mary’sSunday 23rd 8.00am - Holy Communion - All Saints 10:00am - Sung Holy Communion - St Marys 10.30am - Café Church - All Saints Blessings and peace to you all.Revd Lizzie
